The only song that brought her solace on dark days was "The Way That I Love You" by Passenger.
As she played it, she gazed out the window, lost in contemplation about her life.
Her phone buzzed with 25 new messages and 18 missed calls, but first, she focused on the three new voice messages.
One was from Juliana, her mother's maid who had just started working there a week ago.
"Hey, Mum. Sorry, your mother gave me the day off to see my family. Just wanted to let you know I'm leaving until tomorrow," Juliana said.
"What?!" Alexandra was shocked and immediately paused her music.
Her mother shouldn't be alone, especially at night. Someone needed to look after her due to her condition, and Juliana had accepted that responsibility without fully understanding the situation.
Something felt off; her instincts were screaming.
"Girl, didn't I tell you not to leave her alone?"
Questions swirled in her mind, but there were no answers.
Within minutes, she had packed her things and dressed hurriedly, feeling as if she had been caught in an unthinkable situation. She cursed her fate for the events of the day.
Her mother meant everything to her, and she couldn't bear the thought of losing her.
She opened her mother's text:
"Hey, baby, you good right?
I'm actually fine here,
just had a few headaches, but I'll be okay!
I called for an help; it'll be here soon, so don't worry, Love you!"
Hearing her fragile voice and looking that the message was sent an hour after Juliana left, panic ignited within her. She didn't want to dwell on the words anymore; her actions spoke volumes and she knew her next stop where will it be.
"Riverbend Medical Centre"
"Please be safe, Ma. Please! I can't—"
"What are you even thinking, Xandra?"
She berated herself as she rushed to the ground floor, knowing her mother wasn't well.
Her priority was to catch a cab as quickly as possible.
After paying her final bills, she was silent, her anxiety palpable not knowing where to start.
"Sorry, madam, is everything okay?" the waitress asked, but Alexandra remained mute.
"Is there something wrong with our service?" the waitress pressed,
but she didn't respond.
"The keys" her mind at last co-operated
Once she handed over the keys, she bolted outside.
"Can I get a cab or anything, please?" she turned to the waitress pleading but
just then, she heard a car approaching. It was hard to tell if it was a bus or a taxi, but her instinct kicked in.
"Good God!" she thought, spotting a customer from the airport unloading an array of bags. Without hesitation, she rushed to the car and said,
"Can you take me to Riverbend Medical Center, please?"
It was one of the most renowned hospitals in Chicago.
She recognized the urgency from the third voice message but didn't care to know who it was from after all its a new number.
"Sorry, Mum"
"it's too late, and my car is running out of gas."
"There's no way to refill; most of the petrol stations in town are closed by now."